United States and Japan sign Treaty of Amity and Commerce
- When
- 1858–1860
- Where
- Edo Bay; Washington (institutional context; ratifications exchanged outside Japan)
- Episodes
- 2
The Treaty of Amity and Commerce, known as the Harris Treaty, was signed on July 29, 1858, in Edo Bay. Negotiated by US Consul General Townsend Harris, it opened Japanese ports to trade and granted extraterritorial rights, marking a significant shift in US-Japan relations.
Episodes
- Signing of the Harris Treaty
The Treaty of Amity and Commerce was signed on July 29, 1858, on the deck of the USS Powhatan in Edo Bay, formalizing trade relations.
- Ratification and Exchange
The treaty was ratified by the US Senate in 1858 and exchanged in Washington in 1860, following the first Japanese Embassy visit.
Background and detail
Background. Commodore Perry secured initial access, but trading rights remained unresolved. Townsend Harris, the first US Consul General, negotiated the treaty with the Tokugawa Shogunate. Japanese resistance persisted for two years, but the government eventually capitulated, fearing similar demands from other Western powers.
Treaty Terms. The treaty opened Kanagawa, Nagasaki, Niigata, and Hyōgo to trade, alongside existing ports. It granted US citizens residency rights, property ownership, and religious freedom in designated settlements. Article III allowed trade in Yedo and Osaka, consular jurisdiction, and free export of gold and silver.
Consequences. The agreement served as a model for other unequal treaties, curtailing Japanese sovereignty. It revealed Japan's weakness and contributed to the end of Bakufu control, leading to a new imperial government. The treaty also facilitated Japan's role as a commercial base between China and the US.
People involved
- Townsend Harris · US Consul General and Negotiator
- Tokugawa Shogunate · Japanese Signatory
Sources
- Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Japan) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29
- Townsend Harris Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.